


Old Man Keith

by bedHeadRedd



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-12 00:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20162689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bedHeadRedd/pseuds/bedHeadRedd
Summary: Keith is working at The Shirogane's Sewing Shop when he is cursed to be an old man. Not too keen about his new state of life, he sets out to The Waist Lands to find a magic user who can undo the magic done to him. Along the way, he runs into marvel and fantasy, like he's never seen before, and maybe, on the journey he will find what happened to his missing brother Shiro, why he was cursed in the first place, and who the beautiful flighty magic man now plaguing his life is.Howl's Moving Castle Voltron AU





	1. Old age gets to us all

Keith stretched his sore back. After a full day of hunching over sowing, he ached all over. Shiro had chasted him a few times for his poor posture, and to Keith’s credit, he did try to correct it throughout the day. But after each fix he found himself hunched over not too long after.

Out of the window in his work area, Keith watched as his fellow seamstresses filed out of the shop for the night. Deciding to follow suit, once he finished his peace, Keith locked up the shop and walked home. The Peace Parade was tomorrow and Main Street would be closed off to celebrate successful negotiations with the Galra Empire. The Shiroganes, owner of the shop Keith works at and his adoptive parents, gave everyone half days; either opening or closing shifts, so that all the seamstress could enjoy the festivities. As he walked home Keith mulled over what he would do with his free morning. He didn’t have much, hobbies wise, except maybe exercise?

Keith groaned as he willed his stiff muscles to move. What time was it? The sun was in his face and noisemakers could be heard from Main Street. So the parade had already started, which meant it was at least 8. Keith groaned and grunted now, trying to pull himself out of his too hot bed. The only clock in the Shirogane household was in the kitchen it was a wonder how they all managed to make it everywhere on time. Well… all except Keith who did not have their magical ability to cope without a readily available clock.

By the time he was dressed for the day and had managed to stumble downstairs, it was already 11, time for him to head to work. “So much for my day off...” Keith mumbled as he headed out the side door and down the cities back allies to avoid the crowd. The day was getting hot and Keith was thankful for the cover of the tall buildings around him.

Barely halfway to the shop, Keith ran into trouble. A burly man radiating the stank of alcohol, stumbled his way into the ally, blocking Keith’s path. Unsure of what the man’s intent was, Keith started to back away in an attempt to take another route; too many delays and he might be late relieving the morning shift, which just wouldn’t be fair to them. They deserved their half day off too. Unfortunately, as he backed up he ran into yet another large man, this one shorter than first but heftier and still a good head taller than Keith.

“Hey guys, I’m not looking for trouble just trying to get to work.” Keith tried but the second man just glowered. Keith and his mullet tried to sidestep the guy but Mr. Muscles matched Keith’s step and slurred out something incomprehensible before trying to sock Keith one in the jaw. Luckily the man was slow and drunk while Keith was agile and sober. Dodging one drunk man punch was easy, but soon the original drunkard was having a swing at Keith as well. Now, Keith was in fairly good shape despite his sedentary job, but taking on two buff guys in a fight, drunk or not, was proving to a little more than the 20 year old could take. The taller one managed a hit to Keith biceps while the more muscular one got a good one to the gut, knocking Keith to the ground. Rolling on his ankle Keith doubled over on his side. Rolling on the old ally cobble is the last thing is aching bones needed. 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Chimed a voice from behind the first man. “Two big boys against one cutie, that doesn’t seem fair now does it?”

“Cutie?” repeated Keith in shock and what he hoped looked like offense.

“EWAHU UUUH?” slurred-yelled the second man. So far the most enunciated statement form the two men. Keith puzzled it to translate as ‘Who are you?’

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m a prince here to rescue the damsel in distress.” Answered the mystery man who apparently had also figured out the strings of sounds --- as in his voice played like a melody echoing off the cobblestone back alley. Once again Keith felt himself holding back his temper in favor of a little backup on these dudes. But upon inspection, the mystery man didn’t look like he would be much good in a fight. Tall, fair build but still slim, brown hair in a low ponytail tossed over one shoulder, flawless tanned toned skin, striking blue eyes…

Suddenly aware of his eyes raking up and down this stranger, Keith snapped his head in the other direction --- towards the shorter drunkard. But before he could do anything the two men abruptly picked themselves up and waddled off. What.

With a devilish glint in his eyes and a flourish of the wrist, the unknown man bowed with his hand offered out to Keith. Obliging, he helped the raven haired boy to his feet. Now standing the mystery man draped his arm around Keith’s shoulders; which brought to attention, this mystery man was a full head taller than Keith, the audacity of all these tall people!

“Sorry about them. It's such a shame a lovely face like yours had to get scratched up because some people can't handle a few~.” Keith tried to stammer in protest before he was cut off.

“uh oh~” sung the brunet. Behind them, two blob creatures, vaguely shaped like people, were rushing towards them. Using the arm around Keith's shoulders, the other man pulled him down various pathways through the maze of the cities backroads. Left, stairs up right, left, stairs down right, right, left. But soon they had exhausted their routes and ran into a dead end. Seamlessly sliding his had from Keith's shoulder to around his waist, the blue eyed trouble winked at Keith, “Hold on cutie.”

“wha- why- ” Keith found himself stammering and getting cut off all over again. This time by a sudden lurch into the air. The poor boy couldn’t help but let out a yelp in alarm. The soft chucked in his ear didn’t help the embarrassment rising to Keith’s cheek.

“Okay now just stretch your legs out and walk like normal.” Instructed the mystery man. Keith reluctantly did as told, slowly he unwrapped his arms from around the other man, in a way he hadn’t even noticed they were in. As Keith withdrew and stretched out, the blue eyed man slid his hands down Keith's arms and intertwined their fingers. At first unsteady, Keith found each step easier than the last. Soon the two were literally walking on air. Bouncing weightlessly from step to step. The view over the parade was bustling and colorful, and the lightness of his body was a welcomed relief. Relief from his regular back pain and his newly sore ankle.

“So where are you headed, pretty boy?” inquired the mysterious man, sun bronzing his skin in carmel, haloing his hair in warmth.

“Shiroganes Sewing Shop on fifth.” Answered Keith, too entranced by the current situation to worry about giving a wizard his address or to be upset about all the pet names he’s been called today. Frankly, under any other circumstances, Keith would be fuming at these names but these weren’t normal circumstances.

From the sky, Keith found the once suffocating dusty city vibrant and beautiful. Full of movement, of life, of color. Even the architecture seemed more impressive from their vantage point. Above the crowd Keith felt like he could finally breathe easy; free from the daily smog Keith felt light, not just his body, but his heart. It had been so long since he last felt this relaxed he couldn’t help the smile on his face and didn’t notice the smile from the man guiding him across the sky.

But all good things must come to an end, even magical walks across the city skyline. Slowly the pair began their descent on the Shiroganes shop. Landing on the second floor balcony Keith stepped down off the railing and turned to look at the mysterious wizard. The two’s lingering hands slid apart and the wizard floated away giving one last wink to Keith.

…

Keith was in a daze for the rest of the day. Which is fine because the shop was very slow due to the parade, only a few large or difficult orders from previous days were left to do. Once again Keith was the last one to leave. As he tidied up his work area Keith heard the distinctive bell of the front door. Which was strange because he could have sworn he locked that door.

“Sorry we’re closed now,” he said walking over to the entrance, “but we open at 8 am tomorrow.” The woman standing before him was hunched over in a worn looking cloak with gold trimmings. Keith looked it over thinking that in its day it must have been nice, but was all but rags now. The woman wearing it look pretty much the same, worn by time.

The woman was followed by two men, taller and more imposing in stature, but also wearing the same purple cloak. The old lady in the middle smiled, emphasizing her pointed jaw. All three of their eyes were hidden, and something about the way their presence loomed made Keith’s stomach churn. Taking a step back he tried to reiterate the shop’s customer hours but he was interrupted (for the third time that day!). A rush of murky wind blew past him. Just as suddenly as they had appeared the trio left. In their wake was an echo of a message drifting in the air, “Lance knows where to find me.” Weird and cryptic.

Keith felt wobbly on his feet and when he stretched out his hands to brace himself he found that they were quite wrinkly. “Oh god,” he croaked. “Oh god,” he croaked again after hearing his voice. Fumbling his way to the shop's full body mirror, Keith gave himself a once over in dismay. He was old. Oh so old. Wrinkly grandfather old.

After recovering from the shock a bit Keith considered, “Well Shiro always did say I act like an old grumpy man. And it’s not like I’m not used to a creaky sore body.” Double negative, bad form. 

…

The walk home was longer and colder than Keith remembered but he made it all the same. Everyone was asleep at the Shirogane’s by the time Keith arrived home and the next day was his regular day off, so there’s a good chance he can go a while without being found. However, hiding really isn’t Keith style, in fact, by the next morning, he was already preparing for a journey out to the Waste Lands. Since a good night's sleep didn’t seem to fix his decrepit face, he might as well find some magic that can undo this magic. The Waste Lands are known for housing many witches and wizards, so that’s where he would try first. The Waists were vast but Keith hoped if he left soon enough, he would be able to run into the witch who cursed him, one of her henchmen, or the wizard who he ran into that morning. This was his first real run in with magic but he figured any one of them would do.


	2. Meeting the gang

Another late start to the day and another wakeup full of creaking bones and sore muscles. Really being old hasn’t changed much for him. 

Except he was slower. So much slower. Keith was actually starting to frustrate himself with how slow he was. To get out of town he had to climb these stairs that lead up and down a walkway above the train line. On the other side was an old lady, arms full of groceries she descended one slow step at a time. But before Keith could feel any sympathy pain, a young man walking by gave her hand. Keith staired from across the way with envy. Why didn’t he get offered help too? He was clearly struggling, what with all the grumbling he was doing. Being old is frustrating. And slow. So slow that by the time he had reached the top of the overpass walkway a train had zoomed by him, engulfing the old man in a cloud of smog. Being old also made it harder to recover from the coughing fit caused by the train smoke. Old. So old. Old, old old. 

It was night by the time he made it to the edge of The Waste Lands. And he dreaded spending it out in the elements with his frail old man body. In quite the Deus ex Machina fashion, just over the horizon, Keith saw a large structure moving. It was a mess of a building walking on four legs at a pace only slightly faster than Keith’s. Which is to stay, it was fairly slow. A patchwork blob that can walk and is the size of a small castle… yup, definitely the work of magic. Mission checkpoint one! Next on the list is to convince whoever’s house this is to fix him. Keith hurried to meet the structure as it passed, he would only have one chance, since, well, it was walking faster than him.

It was a difficult get to the entrance, it bobbed a bit as the structure walked but Keith managed to stumble onto it’s ‘Welcome’ mat and pry the door open.

…

It was dark and cool inside the moving thing. The interior was much more cohesive than the exterior. Hardwood floors and late century furnishings, woven rug, and a soft fire in the hearth with a cushioned couch in front of it.

Keith and his old bones made a B-line for the couch. Relaxing into the cushions, he started to doze off, the fire’s face shifted out of focus. 

The fires face. His eyes must have been going.

“That one ugly curse.” What.

“You’re gonna have trouble breaking that one.”

The fire. The fire spoke. Keith saw it. The mouth moved and everything. Slowly and with great effort, Keith pulled himself forward; wide eye like a child Keith stared at the fire.

“Names Pidge. I’m a fire daemon and boy do I have a deal for you!” the fire chirped.

“Why- ” Keith started but stumbled on his words. This world of magic sure did leave him stuttering a lot. “Who in their right mind would make a deal with a daemon?” he finally got out.

“Listen, you’ve got a pretty though curse and all any magician is gonna do is give you the old runaround. Me on the other hand, I need your help and you can count on that. If you free me from my contract with Lance I can then use my powers to break your curse.” Explained the fire, Pidge. 

“Why can’t a magician just break my curse for a reasonable fee, ya know, instead of me going through the trouble of figuring out how to free a fire demon?”

“Nah, all those clowns care about is casting spells, they can’t fix nothing!” burst the fire in exasperation.

“Oh, I see. Is this how you got stuck with this Lance?” Keith sleepaly smirked.

“Yeah it is and since it’s my contract I cannon break my own curse.” Complained the fire.

Keith mulled it over for a moment and agreed, “alright but I’ll need a place to crash.” Remarked Keith, already feeling his body droop and sag as he relaxed on the couch. 

“NooOOoo problem” retorted the fire, “Lance has rooms to spare!”

“That’s good… my old bone can’t take the cold out… side...” Keith trailed off as he dozed. 

“What! Wait! He- augh” grunted Pidge, “you’ve gotta be kidding. Some help you’re gonna be.”

…

The next morning Keith woke to heavy footsteps down the stairs. A tall sturdy looking man bounced down the steps while chatting with the fire. With a quick spin, the strong man swung himself around the corner expecting to see his dear friend Pidge.

“Oh hello, there sir?”, greeted the man clearly taken aback by the surprise of Keith. “What are you doing here?” Unsure of what to answer Keith looked to Pidge. Was it okay to let other people know about their deal? Their deal was about breaking another deal, so it might be better to keep that sort of planning under wraps…

“I dunno” Pidge shrugged, “he just wandered in from the Waists.” Keith couldn’t help the groan he let out, this fire just put all the hard work on him.

“I’m Keith.” He said hoping to stall for a bit of time.

“Oh um, Hi Keith, I’m Hunk. So not to be rude but ah, who are you? Or rather why are here?”

“I’m... cursed… so… uh..” Keith never was good at lying, he was much more straightforward kinda guy, direct and assertive. This might be why he got into so many fights but it’s also how he won them.

“Oh haha, I see so you’re here to ask the Wizard Lance for help.” Hunk sighed in relief, “well, he’s not home right now but you’re welcome to stay here until he returns. Hold on for a bit and I’ll get breakfast ready.”

“Ah yes thank you…” Keith said, sounding remarkably like an old dazed person. Pidge snickered at him from their place across the couch in the hearth, earning a glare from Keith. Lance…now, where had he heard that name before...? 

“The witch!” Keith exclaimed from the couch.

“What?” squeaked Hunk in alarm.

“The old lady who cursed me! The last thing she said was ‘Lance knows how to find me.’” Keith explained while trying to bottle down his growing resentment of a wizard he hasn’t even met yet. 

“ooh this has got to be his fault then!” Chimed Pidge from the hearth, spitting sparks of fire as they talked. 

“Old lady huh…” Hunk hummed as he walked with a pan and basket of food over to Pidge. “Did she have on some old purple robe with-”

“-gold trimmings.” Keith finished.

“Yah that’s her. Hagger. She’s a mean one. Head druid of the Galra Empire.” Hunk explained. 

“So what does she have against Lance? And why would she bring me into this?”

“hhmm… that’s not really my business to go spreading around- ”

“Except it's clearly my business now so spill.” Interrupted Keith.

“I would but to be honest I don’t know all of the details myself.” Hunk mulled as he finished frying the bacon.

“Great” Keith growled as he leaned back into the couch. “So when is this Lance guy coming back?”

“Weeell...” Hunk drew out. Keith groaned again with dread. “Lance always comes back… but sometimes not for days at a time.” There it was. This time Keith let out an even louder exasperated groan and he let his head fall back to rest against the couch.

…

Breakfast went quickly, it was pleasant and tasty and full of great conversation. Hunk is a real chief in the kitchen, and Pidge is a real spitfire in conversation. After the dishes were done Hunk briefly showed Keith around the quote-unquote castle, which is apparently what Lanced called it. Which was a bit generous considering the messy looking exterior, but indeed the inside was large. There were a dozen cozy looking bedrooms, bathrooms, a few studies, a library, a couple of recreational rooms, and Keith’s favorite, the balcony. It wasn’t large, in fact, it was just big enough for two people to stand close together, but the view was breathtaking. After the tour pidge gave him an audaciously dramatic wink, probably implying Keith should begin the search on ways to break their curse. Instead, he found his way back to the balcony.

The castle was still moving pretty slowly but the rhythm was soothing. Right now they were passing over the peak of a hill giving vantage to a sparkling lake in the distance and a backdrop of ridge white peaked mountains, which were a stark contrast to the soft green rolling hills they were climbing over. Keith sighed in bliss. The air was cool and fresh and clean and seem to fill his body with energy. Nothing like what he had breathed all his life in the overcrowded city. Magic may have made him old but it also seemed to be gifting him some of the best moments he could remember.

Don’t get him wrong, the Shiroganes had been nothing but good to him, they treated him like they treated their own son. It’s just that the Shiroganes adopted him pretty late in the game, at 17 years old, things before that were pretty shitty, and even after being adopted Keith always felt guilty or unworthy of the kindness the Shiroganes would show him. It wasn’t like that with magic. The walk through the sky, this wonderful view, the curse of old age; these things didn’t really feel like something he needed to be deserved or even warranted they simply were as they are.

“Enjoying the view grandpa?” Chimed a voice from behind him. Keith whipped around to see the wizard from this morning leaning up against the window frame, a smirk plastered on his face. Just as suddenly as he had been shaken from his trance, Keith felt a familiar annoyance well up inside him.

“You’re Lance?” Keith squawked.

“Hm? Well yeah. Of course. This is my house. The real question is who are you, old-timer?”

Something about all these pet names, this guy’s smug face, and now the pieces were falling into place -- the witch cursed him because she saw Lance and him walking through the air that morning -- Keith just could hold back his anger anymore. “Oh my god this is your fault!”

“Excuse me-”

“A WITCH CURSED ME! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU?!” Keith wildly gestured at Lance.

“Excuse you but I'm a perfectly acceptable reason to be cursed. Just look at these cheekbones!”

“augh” Keith groaned as he rolled his eyes so hard he gave his old body a headache. This was exasperating and frustrating and just- just- so unfair! All that sappy crap about deserving being irrelevant in this mystical world of magic was just the scenery talking, Keith absolutely didn’t deserve this! 

“Your pretty rude Mr.Fossile” Lance snorted.

“Enough with the damn nicknames!” Keith snapped.

“Well, you never actually told me your name, genius. Even though I just gave you the perfect opportunity at the beginning of this little conversation. Remember? Or did you forget already.”

“Keith,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Well, Ke~ith, it’s been a pleasure meeting you we really must do this again sometime.” Lance winked and began to turn back toward the hallway behind him, the wind tossing his hair gently around his face.

“Ah! No, wait” Keith blurted out, almost forgetting the whole reason he was out in the Wastes. “I came here to ask for you to break this curse,” Keith said. Seeing that Lance looked pleased enough with that plea for help, Keith couldn’t help himself but add in a sort of pouty mumble “Especially now that I know it’s your fault…”

Lance’s smile quickly turned to a frown as his brows creased together. “hmpf, well if you’re going to be like that who says I want to fix your damned curse. It’s not an easy thing breaking a spell you know!”

Pidge’s words echoed in Keith’s head, ‘…all any magician is gonna do is give you the old runaround… all those clowns care about is casting spells, they can’t fix nothing.’ So... the cheeky fire daemon was his only hope after all. Either way, Keith would need Lance to let him stay in the castle longer. “No,” Keith sighed as he swallowed his pride, “...sorry, - can you fix this curse.”

“That’s much better,” Lance said as his smug smile spread across his face again. God how mad it made Keith.

…

Just like that, the first day had gone by, somewhat uneventfully and somewhat unsuccessfully. After his encounter with Lance, Keith went to the library to try and read up about magic and more specifically about breaking contracts and curses. He found nothing. Figures. If Pidge had to go for outside help then it’s unlikely the info was written out in some step by step guide in this ‘castle’. 

Keith lied in bed staring at the ceiling thinking. He really hadn’t planned to be gone much longer than this. When he left, Keith didn’t even bother with a note. He really regretted that now. If he was gone too long, for the Shiroganes, it would be like to have a second son go missing. Keith’s adopted older brother had been missing for a few months now and the police have all but given up the search. Keith rolled over, tears pricking at his eyes. Would the Shiroganes call the cops once he had been missing long enough, how bad would it hurt them to lose another son in the same way. Left knowing nothing. Would Keith be gone long enough for the cops to also give up on his search? Would Keith ever get to go home, if he truly was unable to reverse his age could he face the Shiroganes again? After causing them such grief?

…

The next few days went by, all equally unsuccessful. Sometimes Lance was there, sometimes he was wasn’t. When he was, he and Keith usually got into some sort of petty argument.

…


	3. Settling In

Keith woke to aches and pains in places he didn’t know could get aches and pains. The bed was plush, decadently adorned with pillows and throw blankets; very on par with Wizard Lance’s aesthetic. Unfortunately, for his now old bones, a solid bed would offer more support. 

Orange and pink light painted the hallway as, Pidge walked the castle through a valley. Being old means you need less sleep apparently, as it was still sunrise and Keith was ready for the day. And what a day he had planned. Exploring the castle, on the hunt for a bed that offered back support and for any hints as to the conditions of Pidge and Lance’s contract. 

… 

By lunch, Keith was still unsuccessful on all fronts. Hunk, on the other hand, cooked a very successful vegetable soup in a bread bowl, with salad on the side. A little over the top for just an average stay at home lunch, but that seemed to be what Lanced preferred. He also seemed to prefer reading, always had his nose buried in a book or something during meal times. It drove Keith up the wall, he had always been taught a meal was time for quality interactions and bonding, and that doing other things was very rude. 

“Ya know, you’ve been wandering the castle an awful lot since you got here. Looking for anything in particular?” Lance inquired, while waving his spoon in Keith’s general direction. Does he know about Keith’s deal with Pidge? Is he trying to find out what he knows?

“The bed in the room you gave me is way too soft,” Keith said flatly.

“Oh~” Lanced chimed knowingly, blue eyes glancing over the morning newspaper, sunlight dancing in blue. The day’s headline was ‘Galra Prince Missing, Empire Looking for Someone to Blame’. How much did he really know, Keith wondered...

“What is tha-” ‘t supposed to mean’, Keith was unable to finish his outburst before Hunk burst in, “Keith! I had no idea! You could have told me, I’ll help you look for a better bed after lunch!” Hunk, so kind, always willing to help, and just a great person. Even a simple syllable from Lance could draw outrage in Keith, but thanks to Hunk, a fight hasn’t broken out… today. 

…

True to his word Hunk took Keith on another tour of the castle, this time in a hunt for a good bed. On the way, he showed Keith THREE different libraries, a game room with a pool table, a spa room complete with a sauna and hot tub, a gym, some magic spell room or something, Hunk’s own room, the tiny balcony, and so on and so on. The ‘castle’ seemed to be even larger than Keith was initially shown. Next to the third library was a small room; a single bed on the sidewall, a dresser on the other side, and a full-length mirror in the corner next to the dresser. Probably meant to be the servants quarters, but Lance had none. This was pretty much the only modest or practical room in the castle and the only room Keith really liked. So it was fitting that this would be the one firm mattress available. 

During the rest of the tour, Hunk seemed concerned that Keith had picked such a small room, even apologizing a few times. Keith really didn’t mind, in fact, he preferred that room over literally every other room he had seen. Some of the other rooms had overly plush paisley bedding, while others had gold-coated headboard frames, and some seemed to drown in shag carpeting. Austentatious and ugly at best. 

…

That evening at dinner, Lance was missing again. Rude. Hunk and Pidge were chatting between themselves about some technical jargon, regarding a clockwork creature Hunk was working on. Keith had yet to figure out the exact nature of Huck's relationship with Lance. They were good friends, it’s clear, but Hunk was a logical man of science, always tinkering on some invention. Hunk was stable, kind, reliable, and logical. On the other hand, Lance was all magic and showboating. Was Hunk just a good guy rooming with his eccentric friend? Was he a squatter who was just so good natured Lance never bothered to kick him out? Had he also sought out magical aid form Lance, only to receive a shrug off answer and decided to stay in protest until his solution is found, like Keith? That last one felt less likely, considering the affability of the twos relationship. 

There was a knock at the door, three sharp raps, and then three more, until Hunk sprung up and bound to the entrance. At the front door, Keith had noticed something… odd. When turning the knob, there was a sort of pinwheel above the door that would spin and change what color was pointed at. Once the wheel stopped on a slide of red, Hunk opened the door to a bustling street of fine clothes and tall buildings. 

“A SUMMONINGS FOR THE WIZARD MCCLAIN” A blond man with a curly bob, wearing a double breasted salmon uniform with gold trimmings. This man was from the capital. And behind him… that capital city itself? Keith hadn’t realized he had gotten up and walked over to the window until he was gazing out it in astonishment.

“He’s not here right now but I can give him the letter.” Replied Hunk. So kind, so helpful.

“I’ve never been to the capital before”, mumbled Keith as Hunk returned to the dining table. 

“It’s a fun place. One of Lance’s favorites. I’m sure if you ask, he’d show you around.” At that, both Keith and Pidge scoffed loudly. Pidge because they were stuck in a fire pit, unable to go sightseeing ever, and Keith because who would want to spend time with that obnoxious prick. A knock on the door again, Hunk rushed up to get it.

“Letter for… Mr oh, uh, The Wizard J. Shada?” 

“He’s not here right now but I can pass along the message.” Out the window was fish market town, the ocean just visible beyond the building down the hill. 

“I’ve never seen the ocean before”, Keith signed under his breath. 

“Oh, this town is one of my favorite places. The markets has the freshest ingredients, not just fish but their vegetables and fruits are farmed on the outskirts of town.” Hunk mused, “Great deals, fresh food, and a walk along the waters.” 

“Sounds nice”, Pidge grumbled. 

“Next time you go shopping, mind taking me along with you?” Keith asked. 

“Of course man! I was actually planning on going shopping tomorrow if you’d like to j-” Hunk was interrupted by another knocking at the door. 

“WAR SUMMONINGS FOR THE WIZARD FRANCIS” 

“He’s not here right now but I can take the message.”

“That sounds great, Hunk, What time did you want to go?” Keith said, trying to continue where they left off. How many aliases did Lance have? A knock again.

“Winhaver door again? Must be a customer.” Hunk said as he walked back to the door “I was thinking sometime in the morning, just so all the good stuff isn’t taken.” 

“Hello, I’m here to pick up a spell for my mom,'' said a little voice at the door. 

“As yes, Lance left a package here for you” Hunk said as rummaged through a pile. “Here it is! Now remember to read the instructions, only one of these once a day.” 

“Thank you sir.” Said girl as she left.


	4. Ocean View

The new bed was much better than the last but still wasn’t great. The firmness was a nice relief from the overly cushioned bed before, but it was also very old with few springs poking into Keith when he would lie down. 

…

Lance was still gone by breakfast, so all they had was toast and jam. Which was perfect, the simple meal cut down on cooking, eating, and clean up time, so Keith and Hunk were able to leave for the market earlier than expected.

The marketplace was already bustling with people by the time the two arrive. The ocean up close was breathtaking, morning lights dancing across and ever shifting surface, and large ships docking, loading, unloading, and taking off up and down the docs. Men would be shouting from the boats to other men, and women hoisting bags of flower over their shoulders, grandmas guiding grandchildren through the crowd, and just life and people everywhere. 

Hunk had restocked on all the basic essentials and was now combing through the vending stalls for some specific parts for his current contraption. It was planned to be an automotive door answerer. Probably inspired by yesterday's bombardment.

As they were walking down the street, the crowded suddenly surged with a new energy. Three deafening low flying planes streaked across the sky, raining flyers in their wake. An official man marching through the surging crowd hollered, “Do not be swayed by enemy propaganda!” The entire street was erupting in chaos as people rushed the docks to get a glimpse of something smoking on the horizon. Dozens of small boats were taking off to the pillar of grey clouds. Keith and Hunk were elbowing their way through the crowd for a better view, when Hunk let out a gasp.

“Two of Hagger’s henchmen are here!” Hunk whisper yelled at Keith. Sure enough, two blob creatures shrouded in purple cloaks were sulking through the crowd, paying no attention to the smoldering shipwreck offshore. Instinctively the two men flattened their backs against a nearby wall, trying to hide form the henchmen. Once they had inched their way around a corner, the two made a mad dash to the castle’s entrance. As they did, out of the corner of his eye Keith thought he saw a familiar terrible haircut amidst the crowd. Shiro? Keith tried to pivot and chase after him, but Hunk yanked his arm down an alleyway and into the castle. The two hunched over in the entranceway, attempting to catch their breath. 

“Wow Keithy, you look worse than normal~” Lance was home. 

… 

It had been an eventful and frustrating day. The walk along the ocean had been nice but having to flee left a bad taste in his mouth. Not to mention the possibility that he saw Shiro at that oceanside town… Shiro had been the Shiroganes’ only son before they adopted Keith; it was actually thanks to Shiro that they adopted him. And to top it all off, when they got home Keith almost immediately got in an argument with Lance. An argument about literally nothing. Needing to take some agency over his life, Keith took up a buck and mop and just went hog wild on the place. The castle was well kept thanks to Hunk, but it was huge and while regularly frequented areas were fairly clean, most of the cast needed some serious dusting. So that's what he did. 

Keith had vigorously cleaned his way through most of the castle by the time he reached the library Lance was reading in. Unfortunately, he hadn’t noticed the wizard until a good couple steps into the room, when the wizard also noticed him. Too late to back out Keith blazed forward eyes anywhere but the brunet. Awkwardly Keith swept out corners and mopped the floor around Lance, only once daring to glace up, just to find out that the man with a caramel tan had been observing him the whole time. Keith could practically feel the wrinkles on his face sag with that realization. Suddenly even more self conscious, Keith found himself fumbling with things more and stubbing his toe.

Fully emerised Keith packed up the cleaning supplies and walked out. “Hmmm~ don’t work yourself too hard sweetie!” Chimed Lance after him. Keith was fully embarrassed. 

Despite that one room, Keith’s cleaning exploits really had made him feel better. It was probably the closest thing his old man body could take to work out. 

…

“Hey, their Ke~ith! You’re looking much better~” said Lance from the dining table. Keith had just descended the staircase, and not smelling anything extravagant, much to his disappointment, had hoped that Lance wouldn’t be home for dinner again.

“Not everything is about looks, LAnce.” Keith snapped. 

“Maybe not when you look like you, sporting that mullet at 90, but when you look like me, looks really do play into everything,” replied Lance.

“Lance”, warned Hunk, in a very mother tone. 

Dinner was a few cold dishes, which is why there wasn’t an alluring smell like normal; summer rolls, sesame noodles, and Chinese Lettuce Wraps. As hunk balanced the dishes on a larger serving tray, walking from the kitchen to the dining table, Lance stared across the table at Keith, giving him a good eyeing over. Growing uncomfortable, and hoping to avoid this becoming a common thing, Keith called Lance out on all this staring, “If ya got something to say, say it or stop looking.”

“Oh~? So as long as I say something, I can continue staring?” Lance teased. 

“Wh- No!” Keith barked, thoroughly satisfied with all interaction with Lance. 

“Oh well, I do have something to say though,” Lance responded, twirling this spoon between his fingers, “I’ve been wondering about this for a while now actually. What’s in your pocket?”

“Or Are You Just Happy To See Me!” Shouted Pidge from the hearth. Earning a hearty laugh from Hunk and Lance, and a scowl from Keith. 

“Careful there darling, you’re going to make your frown lines worse!” Cried Lance, which only made Keith grimace even harder. “Serious though, check your jack pocket, what’s in there.”

Keith reached inside his pocket to find a single fold, piece of cardstock paper. Odd, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing Keith would put in his jacket pocket.

“Here, hand it over,'' commanded Lance. Without thinking, Keith compiled and immediately regretted being so cooperative. The instant Lance’s fingers grazed the paper it ignited. Falling it scorched a picture into the table. 

“What is it?” Hunk gasped.

“It is an ancient magic. Quite powerful in fact. Cast by Hagger herself.” mumbled the magician. 

“You sure you’re not working with her?” Hunk asked. 

“Why would I work with the WITCH. When SHE’S THE ONE WH-owwhmmf”, like magic, Keith’s lips sealed together cutting off the rest of his sentence. Angry and frustrated he banged his fist on the table to emphasize his anger and frustration. 

“You can’t talk about the details of your curse....” said Pidge. As Lance waved his hand over the markings, seeming to seer it away. 

“Friends, please, enjoy your meal. I have some business to attend to.” Announced Lance as he dropped off his dishes in the sink and walked out the front door. As he left, Keith noticed the pinwheel land on a color he didn’t know where it leads to, Black.


End file.
